November 2011
 

By the Mexican southeast the roots of the Mayan culture entwine, that in spite of the years, is kept alive among craftsmanship, dishes of thousand-year flavor, attractive traditions and splendorous archeological zones remaining as a vibrant trail of the Mayan glow.


Perfect traces

Recognized by their mathematical and astronomical precision, Mayan built buildings perfectly traced, on which there are recreated impressive natural shows.

One of them, and maybe the most representative, is the Temple of Kukulcán in Chichén Itzá, in which there can be seen a serpent to climb down through its stairs, thanks to the shadows generated by the position of the sun during the march and September equinox.

Palenque, in the middle of the Selva Lacandona in Chiapas; Comalcalco, within the vegetation of Tabasco; Calakmul and Edzná, in Campeche; and Cobá in Quintana Roo, are archeological sites to be traveled on foot, among pyramids, temples and sculptures that take us deep in an ancestral journey.

Sun and Sea

The Caribbean Sea and the thick vegetation of the jungles of the southeast, join to the large Mayan settlements of the region, which together steal the admiration of nationals and foreigners.

Cenotes (deep natural pools) hide underground, beaches of clear sand and walls of reef banks, are some of the attrations that can be admired in a tour through the Riviera Maya, where a trip in kayak or submerge in the deeps of the sea are enjoyed in the same manner.

Tulum, Xcaret, Playa del Carmen, Xel-Há, Puerto Morelos and Akumal, are the destinations integrated to this Riviera.


Mayan Cities

To have an encounter with the cultural, craftsmanship and gastronomical traditions of this civilization, it is enough to arrive to some of the cities still keeping the large Mayan legacy.

Dressed in yellow, Izamal, in Mérida, resumes the magic of the Mayan past among its constructions. An example of that is the Convent of Nuestra Señora de Izamal (Our Lady of Izamal), from where the pyramids surrounding the town can be appreciated. Here, you can find dwellers that stop time with the flavors and scents that crossed the zone during its splendor.

Panuchos and Papadzules, dishes prepared with meat of pheasant, deer and wild board, cochinita pibil, sopa de lima, pollo Pibil and Poc-Chuc, conforme the gastronomical range of legendary root, while the textile and wood craftsmanship integrate a colorful sample of art.

Other cities of Tabasco, Campeche, Chiapas, Yucatán and Quintana Roo, also show off their Mayan past.


New era

In accordance to the astronomical calculations of the Mayans, year 2012 will be the beginning of a new era. Dances, rituals and ancestral festivities are being prepared to receive it.

The date marked in their calendar of the long count –baktun- for the renewal is December 21, 2012.

Archeological zones and cities of the states of Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatán, Tabasco and Quintana Roo, will be the venues for the celebration which marks the end of an epoch, but not of the world.